Patriots outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain underwent surgery for an abdominal tear on Friday, according to a league source. It was an injury he had been dogged by last season, but it flared up during recent offseason workouts.

Banta-Cain, 30, is entering his ninth season in the NFL, and his seventh with the Patriots. Last season, he played in 15 games and ended up with 50 tackles and five sacks. The news was first reported by Shalise Manza-Young of the Boston Globe.